E. E. Cummings' avant-garde drama, Him (1927) is the subject of this study. As poet and painter, Cummings drew a picture of the play for the cover of the "sacrosanct" [his word) first edition. This picture is a unique psychological rebus-mandala. The rebus concept of the ancient Chinese picture puzzle was used by Freud as an indicator of mental illness and progressive cure. The related mandala was adopted by Carl Jung as a universal logo or archetypal symbol of the transcending psyche. Cummings' remarkable rebus-mandala cryptically depicts the themes of Him which involve the archetypes of birth and death and the poet's quest for love and transcendance. The play revolves like a prism in the mirror and its artist's symbol is the mystical mirror mandala showing E. E. Cummings' signature written in a mirror.Voluminous "Notes for the Plays" in the unsurpassed Harvard Houghton Library illuminate mysteries about the misunderstood Him. Cummings' own suggested references for understanding the play are introduced by his comment: "I feel that anyone who is seriously interested in Him will get a good idea of the way it's made if he or she will run through the following references."Chapter One: Cummings' Rubik-cube writing style.Chapter Two: 1. Cummings' "Notes for Him," includes a metaphor study; 2. An examination of his authorized shortened version of the play which enables a director to prepare a script from this chapter; 3. Structure: The word or logos as the "microcosm in the macrocosm."Chapter Three: 1. The unique mirror mandala is a crystal or visual equivalent of the play. 1 t is a logo of Him as a universal monomyth. 2. Extensive references that key the acts and scenes of Him to twelve noted psychological sources.Chapter Four: 1. Explication of the twenty-one scenes in order (100 pp.) on four planes or levels: Freudian, Jungian archetypal theory, literary and poetic considerations and transcendental theory 2. Play is concluded by a ten-column matrix showing inter-relationships of structure, theme, staging, and characters for a skeletal summary (coda) for the intricate play.Bibliography and 103 topics for research papers. The play is well suited to dramatic theory and seminar study.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:BSU/oai:cardinalscholar.bsu.edu:handle/174979 |
| Date | January 1986 |
| Creators | Bast, Doreen Minsinger |
| Contributors | Koontz, Thomas W. |
| Source Sets | Ball State University |
| Detected Language | English |
| Format | xii, 234 leaves : ill. ; 28 cm. |
| Source | Virtual Press |
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